


Protocol

by floatingaway4



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Drabble, Established Relationship, M/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:36:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25635919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floatingaway4/pseuds/floatingaway4
Summary: "...but I've never met your mother..."
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 45
Kudos: 251
Collections: Rwrb





	Protocol

**Author's Note:**

> This is sort of a missing scene fic--after Henry gets off Marine One but before he and Alex go on tv. I’m not sure how canon-compliant it is...this could have happened before Zahra comes to find them. Mostly, I just really wanted to imagine this particular meeting! 
> 
> This also assumes Alex emailed the speech to Henry (and his press team) and he’s read it by the time he gets to the White House. That had to happen, right?

Alex pulls Henry by the hand through the halls of the White House, stopping occasionally to kiss his stupidly pretty face. He notices the nervous look in Henry’s eyes. 

“What?” 

“What what?” Henry says. 

“There’s that Oxford degree at work,” Alex smirks. 

“I’m just…” Henry takes a deep breath and crosses his arms. “I want her to like me.” 

“She will. She _does,_ it’s...you’ve met her before!” Alex says, throwing up his arms. He lowers his voice. “I know you haven’t forgotten the last time you were here for a state dinner. But if you want a reminder, we could--” 

Henry shuts that down, brushing Alex’s hands away from his belt. “Yes, I’ve met the President of the United States, Alex, but I’ve never met _your mother_.” 

Alex puts his hands on Henry’s cheeks and speaks slowly. “Honey, they’re the same person.” 

Henry rolls his eyes. “And I haven’t seen her since…” he gestures toward Alex and trails off. 

“Since you started getting down and dirty with her innocent baby boy?” 

Henry’s glare could stop an army, and Alex is both impressed and a little turned on. He can’t resist trying to kiss the irritation off Henry’s face. “Look, she asked us to stop and see her first. It’ll be fine, baby, come on." He takes Henry's hand again and starts walking. 

Henry jerks Alex backward when he stops to run a hand through his windblown hair in front of a gilded, gaudy hallway mirror. Alex thinks of messing it up again, but he also thinks Henry might have a stroke, so he leaves it alone. 

He knocks at the door of his mom’s private office in the Residence. “Come in,” she calls. She’s expecting them, so he sticks his head in without worrying they’re interrupting anything. 

Alex pulls Henry in behind him and shuts the door. His mother gets up from her desk, hanging up the desk phone and putting one earring back in as she stands. 

“Mom, this is my boyfriend, Henry,” he says, loving the way it sounds to say that out loud. 

And then something weird happens. 

Well, actually, nothing happens. 

Alex realizes what’s going on as he looks between them. 

Their little protocol-soaked brains have each blown a fuse. Neither of them can figure out who is supposed to speak first. They’ve both had to sit through training on how to acknowledge and address various heads of states in all kinds of situations, but Alex would bet that this particular issue is not addressed in any of their official handbooks. He thinks he can actually see them both rifling through files in their heads, trying to settle on the appropriate next step. 

His mom grins and opens her mouth, but Henry beats her to it. Alex wonders what the breaking point was. (Henry tells Alex later, “I’m in her house, so I owe her respect, and I felt the best way to do that was to let her off the hook.”)

“Madam President,” Henry starts, bowing his head a little and smiling a real smile at her. 

“Your Royal Highness,” his mother offers, and puts out a hand for Henry to shake. He does, saying, “Please call me Henry.” 

“As long as you call me Ellen,” she promises. Her posture relaxes a little and Henry’s fierce blush has settled into a steady pink. He nods. “Of course. Ellen.” 

“Henry, can I ask you something?” she asks. 

He nods, and his blush veers toward red again. 

“Why this little shit?” She pats Alex on the shoulder. “I mean, you could do so much better than Alex, sweetie.” 

“Mom!” Alex screeches, and Henry laughs. But it saps the tension of the situation away, so Alex doesn’t really mind so much. 

“Alex, give us a minute,” his mother says. 

Alex nods without realizing what she’s asking until she points at the door. “Oh, um, yeah, sure.” He wants to kiss Henry before he leaves but he still thinks he’s on the verge of a stroke, so instead he squeezes Henry’s fingers and walks out. 

Henry joins him in the hallway a couple of minutes later, looking calmer and very pleased. 

“What’d she say?” Alex asks eagerly. 

Henry gives him an enigmatic smile. “Nothing, love. Don’t we have to get ready?” 

Alex puts his hands on his hips. “You’re really not going to tell me?” 

“I’m really not.” Henry kisses him, just a quick peck. “Now, let’s go so you can read June’s brilliant speech on television and tell everyone that you love me.” 

Alex gives in and throws his arms around Henry’s neck, feeling sappy and warm and drunk in love. “You’re going to get a big head about this, aren’t you, Wales?” 

“Oh, I’m going to be absolutely unbearable.” Henry’s smile is radiant as he wraps Alex in his arms and leans down for a deeper kiss. "But only for the next fifty years or so." 


End file.
